SPORTS DIGEST -- Cook Stays Hot, Wins PGA Event

Staff and Wire Reports

Published
4:00 am PDT, Monday, July 29, 1996

John Cook, capitalizing on a field depleted by the British Open, shot a 2-under- par 69 yesterday to win the CVS Charity Classic by three strokes in Sutton, Mass. -- his second PGA Tour victory in a month.

Cook finished with a four-round total of 16-under 268, with Russ Cochran the runner-up and posing no challenge down the stretch.

Cook is riding a hot streak that started in Memphis, Tenn., when he won the St. Jude Classic with a near-record 26-under- par.

His latest victory earned him $216,000 from the $1.2 million purse, pushing his career winnings past $5 million.

-- Vicki Fergon earned her first LPGA tour victory in 12 years, winning the Heartland Classic in St. Louis by four strokes. Fergon shot her worst round of the week -- a 2-over-par 74 -- but that was good enough as she entered the round with a six-stroke lead. Fergon nearly tripled her winnings for the year with the $82,500 first-place check.

-- Walter Morgan held off back-nine challenges by David Graham and John Bland, shooting an even-par 72 for a two-stroke victory in the Ameritech Senior Open in Long Grove, Ill. Morgan, who took up golf at age 25 during a 20-year stint in the U.S. Army, completed the wire-to-wire victory with an 11-under 205 total. He earned $165,000 for his second victory of the year and third in six seasons on the tour.

Graham, who finished fourth, said he is considering suing for defamation of character over his forced resignation a week ago as captain of the International team in the President's Cup. Graham said me may sue some or all of the 11 players who voted for his ouster.

-- Scotland's Brian Barnes shot a 2-over- par 74 in windy and rainy conditions to win his second straight Senior British Open in Portrush, Northern Ireland. -- Zimbabwe's Mark McNulty shot a 3-under-par 68 -- his worst round of the tournament -- to win the Dutch Open in Hilversum, Netherlands, by one stroke over American Scott Hoch.

ELSEWHERE

RODMAN THREATENS

TO RETIRE

Dennis Rodman, upset with the Chicago Bulls' latest one-year, $6 million offer, says he'll quit basketball if the team doesn't pay him what he wants.

"And I'm not playing with retirement like Charles Barkley just to see how fans respond and then change my mind," Rodman said. "When I leave, that will be it for me."

Rodman, who has led the NBA in rebounding the last five seasons, wants $11 million. -- Clifford Robinson and his agent claim the Portland Trail Blazers broke a promise when the team picked up the forward's $3.2 million option last month. By doing that, the team closed the door on Robinson making substantially more money in 1996-97.

Agent Brad Marshall has asked for a seven-year, $84 million contract for his client. He said Robinson was promised a lucrative new contract two years ago during a meeting at billionaire owner Paul Allen's home.

Robinson averaged 21.4 points and 5.7 rebounds last season, but slumped in the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

ROLLER HOCKEY: The Oakland Skates won their eighth overtime shootout game of the season, beating the Vancouver VooDoo 6-5 in Vancouver.

BOXING: George Foreman, the 47- year-old former heavyweight champion, announced he would fight Crawford Grimsley on September 15 at the National Yoyogi Arena in Tokyo. The 24-year-old Grimsley is ranked No. 9 by the WBA and No. 15 by the USBA.